Centrifugal cut-out



J. B. REPLOGLE.

CENTRIFUGAL CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED APR-15,1918.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. REPLOGLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE REMY ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CENTRIFUGAL CUT-OUT.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

Application filed April 15, 1918. Serial No. 228,668.

.or closed in accordance with the speed of a rotating member with which the cut-out is associated.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal cut-out having a centrifugal device which may be mounted as a unit upon a rotating shaft or other rotating member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal cut-out which may be attached to any device having a 1'0- tatable element, although the said device may not have been originally constructed so as to include acentrifugal cut-out.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly. shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the centrifugal device included in the present invention, the centrifugal elements being in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, but with the centrifugal elements in opened position;

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the centrifugal elements and a side elevation of the switch elements included in the present invention, said switch elements and centrifu gal device being applied to a generator which is shown in a wiring diagram in circuit with a storage battery and certain'electrical translating devices; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the generator shaft taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, 20 desl ates a generator having an armature sha t 21, adapted to be driven by any convenient-source of power, not shown, and provided at one end with a groove 22 adapted to receive a tongue 23 of the hub 24 forming a part of the centr fugal device. Thetongue 23 cooperates with the groove 22 so that a driving connect1on will be formed between the armature shaft and the centrifugal device. The hub 24 1s secured axially of the shaft 21 by means of screw 25, which passes through the hub 24 and has threaded engagement with the shaft 21. Upon the hub 24 there is fixed a base plate 26, and the said hub is provided with an extension 27 which provides a journal, upon which is mounted for rotation an equallzer 28. Plate 26 carries pivoted posts .29, upon which are mounted for oscillation centrifugal elements 30 which carry pins 31 engaging slots 32 formed in the equalizer 28. Plate 26 is provided with slots 33, into which the pins 31 may project. The centrifugal elements 30 are provided with beveled camming surfaces 34 which, together, form a polyhedron, or a polyhedral angle, the apex of which is located on the center line of the shaft 21. The surfaces 34 are provided with recesses 35 to provide a clearance space for a purpose to be described. The plate 26 carries spring posts 36 to which are connected one end of springs 37 having their other ends connected to bent-up ears 38 formed on equalizer 28.

40 designates a cup-shaped cover, designed to be secured in place upon spring posts36 by means of screws 39 having threaded engagement therewith. Said cover 40 is designed to inclose the edges of plate 26 and the elements supported by plate 26. The plate 40 is provided with a central aperture surrounded by flange 41, which projects into the space formed by recesses 35. A ball 42 is located in the polyhedral angle included by surfaces 34, and said ball is shown in Fig. 3 in contact with said surfaces 34, and with the flange 41 of cover 40, which serves to limit the outward movement of ball 42 by virtue of the outer portion of said flange 41 being slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of said bell.

Switch element 43 is mounted upon generator 20, but insulated therefrom, and carries contact 44 which cooperates with contact 45, carried by switch element 46 of re- .switch terminal 55, through members 48, 46,

contact 45, contact 44, member 43, terminal 56, and wire 57 to the battery 50. Electrical translating devices may be connected with the battery and generator by means of wires.

58 and 59, and said device may include lamps 60 and an ignition system including ignition coil primary winding 61, timer 62, and the secondary winding 63 of the ignition coil which is grounded at 64 and connected by means of wire 65 with the distributor 66, which is connected by means of conductors 67 with the various spark plugs of an internal-combustion engine, not shown.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the generator armature shaft 21 is at rest, the centrifugal elements will be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and, when in this position, the ball 42 will be forced outwardly by the camming surfaces 34 of elements 30, into contact with the button 47 and thereby cause the outward move ment of the contact 45 and the separation of contacts 44 and 45. When this condition is present, the circuit from the battery through the generator is broken. When the shaft 21 starts to rotate, the centrifugal members will begin to separate, and, when the armature shaft 21 has attainednormal speed, the centrifugal elements 30 will'reachthe position shown in Fig. 2. When the elements-30 are in this position, the ball 42 will have moved inwardly toward the plate 26, through the action of the spring contact carrying element 46, and will have reached the dotted lineposition touching the end of hub 24 as shown in Fig. 3., When these conditions are present, the contact 45 will be permitted to engage the contact 44 and the electrical circuit between the generator and the battery will be established. When the armature shaft 21 is rotating at normal speed, the centrifugal elements 30 will overcome the tension of springs 37 and cause, by virtue of the pin and slot connections 31 and 32, a movement of the equalizer 28. The equalizer is constructed with relation to the centrifugal elements so that centrifugal force acting on said elements will be transmitted by each of the pins 31 to the equalizer 28 and will be distributed equally between the 1 springs 37 to elongate the same. As the speed of the shaft 21 decreases, centrifugal force acting on elements 30 will decrease in proportion, and when a certain point in the decrease in. speed has been attained, the springs 37 will overcome the centrifugal force acting on elements 30, causing said elements to take the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thus causing the ball 42 to be ca'mmed outwardly against the action of the spring contact element 46, and to cause the separation of contact elements 44 and 45. The equalizer 28, by reason of the pin and slot connection with each of the centrifugal ele-' ments 30, insures equality of the movements of each of said elements toward or away from the center of rotation. Therefore the ball 42 may cooperate equally with the three camming surfaces 34 of elements 30 in order to transmit motion imparted by said elements in the proper directions axially of the shaft '21.

While the present invention has been shown as applied to a battery charging system, it is to be understood that the application is not thus limited, but that the present invention may be applied to other devices including a rotatable element, and where it is desired to make or break an electric cir-.

cuit in response to the change in speed of the rotatable element.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and. described constitutes one pre-. ferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Vhat- I claim is as follows:

1. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with cooperating contact members; of a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith including a plurality of centrifugal members, an equalizer element cooperating with the centrifugal members, and means adapted to cooperate equally with all the centrifugal members to impart motion to 'certain of the contact members.

2. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with cooperating contact members; of a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith including a plurality of centrifugal members, an

equalizer element cooperating with the cenv trifugal members, yielding means acting to oppose the action of centrifugal force upon the centrifugal members, and a member cooperating with the centrifugal members to impart motion to certain of the contact members.

- 3. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with cooperating contact members; of a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith including a plurality of centrifugal members each provided with a camming surface, an equalizer eleinentcooperating with the centrifugal members to effect equality of movement of .the camming surfaces, and means adapted to cooperate equally with all the camming surfaces to impart motion to certain of the contact members.

2 member.

4. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with cooperating contact members; of a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith, including a plurality of centrifugal members, a single equalizer" element cooperating with the centrifugal members, yielding means cooperating with the equalizer to oppose the action of centrifugal force on the centrifugal members, and a member cooperating with the centrifugal members to impart motion to certain of the contact members.

5. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with cooperating contact members; of a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted upon a shaft for rotation therewith, and including centrifugal members mounted in eccentric relation to the shaft and to oscillate in a plane transverse to the shaft, and axially mounted equalizer cooperating with the centrifugal members, yielding means cooperating with the equalizer to oppose the action of centrifugal force on the centrifugal members, and a member cooperating directly with the centrifugal members to impart motion to certain of the contact members.

6. In a centrifugal cut-out, thecombination with cooperating contact members; of a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted upon a shaft for rotation therewith, and including centrifu a1 members provided with camming sur aces, a single member only with which said surfaces cooperate for transmitting motion from the centrifugal elements to certain of the contact members, and means for guiding the last mentioned circular flange for guiding the ball.

8. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with cooperatlng contact members; of

a centrifugal device adapted to be mounted upon a shaft for rotation therewith, and

including a base plate adapted to be attached to said shaft; centrifugal members pivotally mounted on the base plate and provided with camming surfaces which together include a polyhedral angle; an equalizer having a central aperture surrounded by a flange; and a ball of slightly larger diameter than the central aperture of the base plate located in the said polyhedral angle and adapted to be moved by the camming surfaces of the centrifugal members and to transmit motion therefrom to certain of the contact members, said ball being guided by the flange surrounding the central aperture of the base plate and being limited thereby in movement in one direction.

9. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with a rotatable shaft; of a switch including a movable member located opposite an end of said shaft; and a centrifugal device carried by said shaft including a ball angle in which the ball is located, and spring means restrainin outward movement of said weight mem ers whereby said ball is pressed against the switch member when the shaft is stationary.

10. In a centrifugal cut-out, the combination with a rotatable shaft; of a switch including a resilient movable member tending to engage a second switch member, and

located opposite an end of said shaft; and a centrifugal device carried by said shaft, including pivotally mounted weight members each having a beveled camming surface located on the same side of the pivot as the center of mass of the weight member, said camming surfaces together defining a polyhedral angle, a ball located in said angle and spring means yieldingly maintaining said camming surfaces in proximity whereby said ball 1s pressed against said movable contact member and said member is pressed out of engagement with the second switch member.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JAMES B. REPLOGLE. Witnesses:

. L. L.Hosmn H m. M. WEAVER. 

